The school year is upon us and I had the incredible honour, this morning, as Deputy Mayor for this month, of sharing some thoughts with first year Thompson River University students. I had the good fortune of speaking at the orientation convocation ceremonies.
The organizers of this event had a very tight timeline to work with. I was given one minute, maybe two, to share some thoughts. At first, I was a bit dumbfounded but I soon appreciated being forced to focus on really essential thoughts. The last thing most of these students wanted was a city councillor going on and on.
So I did just three quick things:
- I welcomed the new students on behalf of our Mayor, our council, and our community.
- I asked them to think about what they really love and/or are especially gifted at - and I encouraged them to focus on that as they want through their TRU studies.
- I expressed great appreciation and admiration for the heart, the intentions, and the intellect of the vast majority of TRU staff.
And I sat down feeling good.
